


Rising Up

by Erritiguei1



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alador and Odalia's A+ Parenting, Amity Purring Supremacy, But if there's one thing I'm sure of, But then I had to figure out the plot for it, F/F, I'll add more as I go along because I am nowhere near having this all figured out, Now I have a 23-page notes document, Themes of revolution, This started as a fic that's basically "high school by day rebellion by night", a written scene that's basically gonna take place like 2/3 through the story, and a whole lotta lore surrounding each character that I have no idea how I'm gonna include yet, idk how to tag, just either 3 years later or at around the same time but without Luz, since everything that happened in the show more or less happened, technically canon divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:02:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29939355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erritiguei1/pseuds/Erritiguei1
Summary: Luz has never been a fan of authority. She always found herself in trouble for getting in fights, even when she only did so to defend someone else. After stumbling through a portal to the dangerous but magical Boiling Isles, imagine her disappointment when she found out how it was run. Each of the friends she makes has been deeply hurt by the authoritarian rule of Emperor Belos in one way or another, so when she has to save her mentor from being publicly executed, they all decide it’s time to take him down. The seeds of rebellion are planted, and when given the time and attention they need, it very well might be enough to take down an enemy as old and as powerful as Belos.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Rising Up

Luz was suddenly very unsure about her decision to return to school. Sure, she’d dealt with more monsters, demons, and surprisingly hostile pixies in a single month on the Boiling Isles than most witches in her class have over their whole life. She could take on a magic-sucking greater basilisk, or an ancient demon that manifests her worst fears, or even the freaking Emperor himself. She was ready to face all the hell the world can throw at her and give it back twice over.

Approval, however, was something she was far less equipped for.

Luz was expecting some backlash for brazenly defying the order of Emperor Belos. After collapsing in her makeshift bed, she’d realized that maybe disrupting the public spectacle of the first petrification in over thirty years wasn’t the best for her social status. She’d spent the past week steeling herself in preparation for the mockery and harassment she was sure she’d be facing. Instead, she was met with awed whispers. Approving nods. Even a few students asking for an “up five.” 

The weirdest interaction, though, was when Skara and Amelia found her at her locker. They looked around nervously before telling her they saw the news and that they thought what she did was really cool. Before Luz had a chance to process the compliment, let alone come up with an appropriate response, they had dashed away when they saw Boscha walking by at the other end of the hall. 

Speaking of whom…

“Hey, human! I’m talking to you!”

She continued to ignore the three-eyed witch, who had decided to sit directly behind her in potions class.

“I’m  _ still  _ surprised you decided to show your face here again after that stunt you pulled last week. I’d have thought knowing the Emperor’s Coven is coming to get your ass would be enough to keep you away. A shame, really, since I’d have  _ love _ to never have to deal with  _ you _ again.”

Luz continued to take notes, idly wondering whether or not she could get away with stabbing her pencil into Boscha’s third eye in the middle of class. She doubted it, since the teacher might consider it a “minor disruption” and send her off to see Bump. It was still a nice daydream.

“I assumed you’d crawled back to whatever hole you came from when you didn’t show up for a few days. But here you are, continuing to be an insult to witches everywhere.” 

Admittedly, she was tempted to not return to Hexside. At least, not publicly. Between Gus’ tunnels and the Room of Shortcuts, she could easily learn everything she needed to without being seen by anybody. It’s not like she  _ needed _ to actually graduate, since there was no way any coven would accept her. Even if they did, she knew Eda would help her get her own staff, as getting one through a coven would restrict the magic she'd be able to work with 

She’d be damned, though, if she let bullies like  _ Boscha _ stop her from doing  _ anything _ .

“I mean, it was bad enough that you decided to be friends with Half-a-Witch and the  _ illusion  _ kid with a human fetish. I didn’t think you could go any lower, but here you are, proving me wrong.”

Luz gripped her pencil tighter. 

She could handle just about any insult thrown at her. She’d been shrugging off mockery from her peers since middle school, and very little would faze her at this point. Insulting her friends, though? That wasn’t as easy to ignore.

“Those two really are just a social sinkhole, aren’t they? I mean, it made sense when you got sucked in— losers sticking together and all that —but it really sucks that Amity had to get caught up with them. She was really starting to be cool after ditching the ‘Perfect Little Blight’ routine her parents had her doing.”

It took everything she had to not respond to Boscha. Up until this point, Luz had only been mildly irritated.

Until she insulted Amity.

She  _ knew _ both Willow and Gus can easily shrug off anything the insufferable triclops could throw at them. It was all just hot air. An exercise in the inflation of Boscha’s own ego by putting down those she saw as beneath her. After all, who  _ really _ cares about the social hierarchy when someone like Boscha was on top? 

What she said about Amity, though, was taking it too far. Inside Willow’s head, Luz had seen the kind of shit Amity’s parents had pulled. Even though she knew it was only a  _ glimpse _ of what they’d put her through, forcing someone to cut ties with their only friend, at the age of  _ seven _ , no less, just because it would be “a blemish on her name” was enough for Luz to know that Amity had made the right choice in seeking an escape from her parents. 

The rest of class was spent desperately trying to ignore the shit Boscha was spewing about her and her friends. As tempting as it was to live out her daydreams of ocular dismemberment, she remembered what Willow and Gus had told her. Sure, it would be cathartic to beat the shit out of Boscha, but doing so would just be giving her exactly what she wants. She had to admit, as satisfying as it was to challenge Boscha to a grudgby game and win, the harassment from her had only gotten worse. It was better to be a lot more…  _ subtle _ in her revenge.

The moment the bell rang, Luz made a beeline to the Room of Shortcuts. After opening a secret door disguised as a painting of the battle that founded Hexside, she made her way to the makeshift study area she’d set up in the passageway leading to the Detention Track room. It had been a very real possibility that the backlash from freeing Eda would prevent her from publicly returning to Hexside, so she, Gus, and Willow had all worked together to set up a place where she could continue to learn magic without having to be seen. As she walked by the old teachers’ desk Gus found in storage, she dropped her bag in the comfy chair behind it. She collapsed on one of the beanbags they’d brought in, pressing a pillow to her face as she screamed in frustration. What was Boscha’s fucking damage? Why did that bitch have to talk shit about her friends like that?

Willow was far from being “Half a Witch.” In fact, barring Eda and Belos, she was the strongest witch Luz knows, if their encounter with the demon hunters during the Moonlit Conjuring was any indication. She had to admit, as entertaining as it was to see the leader nearly wet himself as he and his whole squad were effortlessly dispatched by the plant witch, the  _ terrifying _ display of power against their would-be captors made her thankful that she was lucky enough to get on Willow’s good side when they first met. She supposes it helped that, after years of torment from Boscha, she was glad to have another friend, even if she doesn’t like to admit it. 

Gus, on the other hand, was insanely clever. While Willow was the undisputed brawn of their little dynamic duo, Gus was the brains. While he may not be too much help in a fight, he more than made up for it in the form of his quick thinking and illusions. It was rare for him to actually be at school, since the clones he makes are so lifelike. Up until recently, only Willow could tell the fakes from the real deal. He spent most of his time either exploring the streets of Bonesborough or gathering information and listening to gossip. “When nobody takes you seriously,” he had said, “they’ll never suspect a thing.”

Amity, though, was a bit of a mystery. At times, she’s cold and abrasive. A perfect Ice Queen act that  _ screams _ “you are beneath me.”. Other times, she burns with an intense heat, reacting so fiercely that Luz  _ swears _ she could see flames dancing on her skin, fuelled by the raw emotion she’s letting loose. Sometimes, though, she’s just… warm. While Amity refused to admit it, Luz had seen her helping the younger abomination students when they were freaking out about a big test, or providing gentle encouragement when their abominations came out misshapen or with too many eyes. When they talked outside the library after defeating the monstrous Otabin, Luz could only describe the hesitant smile she gave, and the feeling in her own chest when she saw it, as “warm.” She didn’t know if they were friends just yet. Sure, Luz wanted them to be, and sure, they’d been through a lot together already, what with the little heart-to-heart at the library and the incident at the Knee and dancing to defeat Grom, but she had no  _ idea _ how Amity felt. She thought the dance was a positive sign, but Amity had told her that it was to “synchronize their magic better” and to “not read too much into it,” but that contradicted the surprisingly heartfelt words of encouragement she’d given right before the fight.

She pressed the pillow to her face again. Why did Amity have to give her such confusing signals? 

Luz ‘s rumination was interrupted by her friends entering together through one of the many doors.

“That bad, huh?” Willow asked.

“Ugh! I just don’t get it!” Luz cried, throwing her arms up. “Where does she get off on talking shit about us?”

“I thought you said you could handle that. If I recall correctly, you made a big dramatic speech about  _ ‘being ready to take on all the hell the world can throw at me _ ’ and  _ ‘if I could take on the Emperor then I can take on a bunch of teenage dipshits talking out of their ass.’ _ ” Willow pontificated, gesturing dramatically to emphasize her point.

“Normally, yeah, I could. Dealing with the bullshit people say about me is nothing new— God knows I dealt with it enough back home. What really got to me was the shit she said about you two.”

“We’ve told you, Luz, you don’t have to get mad on our behalf. We’ve already heard everything she has to say about us.”

“Yeah!” Gus said as one of his illusion clones walked in and handed him some snacks that it had “appropriated” from the cafeteria vending machine. “Besides, you already know none of it is true. She’s just jealous of how awesome we are!”

“I know, I know,” Luz said, taking a bag of Flamin’ Hot Goreitos that Gus offered her. “I just feel like I gotta, you know? Like, if I don’t defend you guys then I’m a shitty friend even though I  _ know _ you don’t care what she says.”

Willow flopped into the beanbag next to Luz and put a hand on her shoulder. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, me and Gus already have a plan to get back at her.”

“Really? How?”

Willow gestured towards Gus, who held up a glowing bubble containing Boscha’s Scroll.

\-----

Amity definitely wasn’t worried about Luz. Nope. Not at all. She’d only defied Emperor Belos— 

_ And _ directly threatened his right hand demon— 

_ And _ freed the most wanted outlaw in the whole Boiling Isles, along with the apparently  _ traitorous _ head of the Emperor’s Coven— 

During a  _ live _ broadcast of the first public execution in over thirty years that  _ everyone _ with a crystal ball was watching— 

And  _ then _ proceeded to completely disappear for an entire  _ week  _ without so much as a single  _ word _ about whether or not she's okay. 

Luz is impulsive and tends to act without thinking. She knows this. It’s one of the many things about Luz that both infuriates her and makes her want to grab her and kiss that stupid, smug grin off her face. But publicly committing treason against the Emperor? That was something Amity would’ve thought even  _ Luz  _ would consider too stupid to even  _ think _ about. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t notice that another witch was leaning against the locker next to hers.

“You doing okay?”

Amity yelped, dropping the books she was carrying. She quickly masked her surprise with annoyance. “What do you care, Skara?”

“You seem a bit on edge lately,” she replied, picking up the books and handing them back. “Is it so unreasonable for me to be concerned about my friend?”

Amity took the books. She wasn’t sure how to feel about the bard. She’d always loved the energy she brought to the old group, and she’d always been a lot nicer than the rest of them, but after she broke it off with Boscha, Skara had stuck with them, leaving Amity all alone, not that she resented Skara for her decision— she knew firsthand just how _vicious_ Boscha could be to those she feels have slighted her —but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t at least a little bitter about it. 

“Thanks,” She replied, putting her books in her locker. “I’m fine.”

“Good to hear, I guess.” She hesitated, watching as the books were swallowed. “So… I heard that Luz is back.”

Amity turned around so fast that Skara had to take a step back. “She is?! How do you know? Who told you? WHERE IS SHE?!”

At first, Skara was a bit shocked at the sudden aggressiveness in Amity’s questions, but after taking a moment to process the absurdity of it, she chuckled. “It’s all everyone’s been talking about. Honestly, out of everyone, I’m surprised that  _ you _ seem to be the last one to hear about it.”

“Well, I guess I’ve been a bit… distracted…” she replied, refusing to meet Skara’s eyes.

She put a hand on Amity’s shoulder and smiled softly. “Well Luz is back, so there’s no need to worry anymore. Besides, she’s probably had her fill of excitement for a while, so I don’t expect her to seek out even MORE trouble.”

Amity looked up and gave her the most genuine smile she probably ever had. “Thanks, Skara. I-”

She was interrupted as an ignited grudgby ball flew past them from around the corner and exploded against the far wall. Shielding her face from both the debris and the intense heat, Amity had barely recovered before someone slammed into her. Before she had time to dig into whoever it was, she realized exactly  _ who _ had accidentally tackled her, and whatever she was about to say got stuck in her throat. In the few seconds it took her brain to catch up with what just happened, as well as process that  _ oh Titan, she’s ON TOP of me _ , Luz had already scrambled to her feet 

“Oh my god I’m so sorry, Amity!” Luz said as she helped her up. “I was so busy running from Boscha I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright. I-” Amity blinked. “Wait— did you say ‘running from Boscha?’”

Luz opened her mouth to explain, but was given a very sudden reminder that she should probably keep running when another grudgby ball exploded against a wall not too far behind her.

“HUUUUMAAAN!”

“Welp, that’s my cue!” She said, taking off again. 

Boscha rounded the corner, launching another flaming grudgby ball after the human, who was barely able to dodge as she continued to run. Amity noticed a scroll lying on the ground where Luz had collided with her. She picked it up, and could immediately tell it was Boscha’s. It was open to her Penstagram, and she suddenly understood exactly why Boscha was so pissed. 

The most recent post on Boscha’s account was a  _ very _ detailed and personal confession of love. 

To Mattholomule.

  
Amity burst out laughing. She could feel a week’s worth of constant worrying melt away as she continued to laugh uncontrollably. ' _ Oh, Luz,' _ she thought to herself, holding onto Skara for support as she doubled over, wheezing. ' _ What the hell is wrong with you?' _

**Author's Note:**

> Well after like a month and a half of writing, rewriting, having an idea in the middle of class and opening a separate tab to write _that_ down, debating with a friend for half an hour over which specific word to use, checking my 23-page notes doc, rewriting _again_ and then stressing over whether or not it's good enough to actually publish before realizing I don't even have a _title_ , here y'all go. This is the first fic I've ever written so I would love any kind of feedback, whether it's a criticism of how I wrote a scene to sentence structure to minor grammatical errors. I have no idea when chapter 2 is coming, but I have a somewhat decent idea of what it's gonna be about.


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